Page 79 of Magical Melee

“Turn me?” I echoed, horrified. “You think I’d help him?”

“Not willingly,” Keegan said, his voice softer now. “But Gideon’s manipulative. He’ll use your doubts, your fears. He’ll make you question everything you know about yourself. Your desires. Your hopes and dreams.”

Nova leaned forward. Her gaze intensified. “That’s why you need to be prepared, Maeve. You need to understand what you’re up against.”

“But I don’t even know what I am.”

Stella frowned and cocked her head slightly. “Isn’t it obvious?”

I stared at her. “To whom?”

She scowled and shrugged. “Why, you’re a witch.”

“A witch,” I repeated. “A witch who knows absolutely nothing about magic or sorcery. Seems like I’m a silly target. I would be of absolutely no use to Gideon.”

“No,” Ember shook her head. “You’re pliable and moldable right now.”

She glanced at Keegan before turning to face me again. “He knows that if he can sprout a little seed of evil in you now, it will always be there. No matter how hard you try to ignore it.”

“Why did I live an entire lifetime without realizing I’m a…” I couldn’t even bring myself to say it.

“It’s how our faction operates. We realize that witches are far more valuable once they’ve reached a certain age and lived a little.” Stella nodded happily. “For once, being an oldie is a goodie.”

I chuckled and glanced at Keegan. “I didn’t really think I was an oldie.”

Stella smiled as I returned my gaze back to hers.

I thought back to the book I’d found about the Academy and swallowed hard as my mind raced. If it needed to open to train new witches, I certainly hoped I was one of them who’d be in the first class.

“So what do we do? How do we stop him?”

“We strengthen our defenses,” Stella said. “Both yours and the town’s. The wards around Stonewick are strong, but they need to be reinforced.”

“And you need to learn how to protect yourself,” Nova added. “Gideon will keep coming after you, in your dreams, in your waking moments. You need to be able to resist him and his charms.”

“That won’t be a problem.” I glanced at Keegan, feeling a blush creep along my cheeks. “I’m not attracted to him.”

Keegan stepped away from the counter. His expression turned more serious as he sat across from me. “It’s not going to be easy, Maeve. Gideon and Shadowick won’t fight fair.”

“They never do,” Ember muttered.

“But you’re not alone,” Stella said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “We’re in this together.”

Nova nodded, her eyes steady. “Stonewick has faced darkness before, and we’ve always come through. We’ll do it again.”

“Let’s start by teaching you how to strengthen your mental defenses,” Keegan said. “Gideon’s power lies in his ability to manipulate. If you can block him out, it’ll make it much harder for him to get to you.”

“Is it magic?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, not exactly.”

“And the wards?” I asked.

“We’ll take care of those,” Ember said. “But you’ll need to be part of it. Your connection to the town is crucial. We just can’t rush things or provide any opening for Shadowick to enter in a real or imagined space.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their words. It was a lot to take in, but I wasn’t about to let Gideon or Shadowick destroy everything.

“Alright,” I said, meeting their eyes. “Let’s get to work.”